The Colress Report
by SurferSquid
Summary: To help an old research associate, Professor Magnolia embarks on a journey across Ultra Space... and then things go horribly awry.
1. Chapter 1

The rain fell steadily down on the lush greenery of Malie Garden, creating ceaseless ripples in the large pond and tapping a symphony on bamboo leaves. A Politoed poked its head out of the water, staring up at the dark, heavy clouds, before retreating beneath the surface.

Professor Magnolia watched it serenely from the pavilion in the middle of the garden. Taking a deep breath, the pale-skinned, brown-haired woman closed her blue eyes and sipped from her mug of Tapu Cocoa, the steam fogging up her glasses. "Malie Garden definitely deserves its place in the list of top 100 views of Alola, doesn't it?" she asked the Shelgon sitting beside her.

The bulky Dragon-type Pokemon glanced up at her silently, then returned to watching the rain.

Magnolia sighed and pushed her long braid over her shoulder to hang down her back. "I know, buddy," she said. "You're almost there. I'm sure of it. You've trained so long and hard. You've come a long way from that little Bagon I met at Kala'e Bay."

The Shelgon looked back up at her, as if to say, _But I still can't fly_.

Magnolia gave him a hopeful smile. That was exactly the reason why she had taken him under her wing. "Soon, Slawomir," she said. "I promise. And when you become a Salamence, you'll barely remember all of this frustration and sadness." He was far from the only Pokemon she had ever trained to its final evolution, and she knew well the sheer joy a Pokemon felt when it achieved its full potential.

The professor finished up her cocoa and stretched her arms. "Well, this was fun," she said. "Want to go check out the library? I'm always up for a good library."

Slawomir looked back up at her, and if he had shoulders, he probably would have shrugged. Thankfully, Magnolia had been training him long enough that she understood his often stoic body language.

She slung her traveling satchel over her shoulder and stood up, popping open her umbrella and holding it out for Slawomir to walk under. Together, the two of them wandered down the garden path, closer to the pond.

Here, Magnolia took out a Poke Ball from her bag and held it up. "Adrammalech!" she called. "Hope you had fun! Let's go see Malie Library!"

For a moment there was no response. Then the surface of the water erupted in an enormous spray, and a huge shape rose into the air. Towering above the human and the Shelgon was a Gyarados, his jaw agape as water streamed down his azure scales.

Magnolia smiled. "Did you have a good swim, Drammy?" she asked.

The Gyarados nodded with a friendly grunt, and Magnolia clicked the button on the Poke Ball. In a flash of light, Adrammalech disappeared back into his home and Magnolia tucked him back into her bag. She'd acquired him in Hoenn a few years back, and since then he had become one of her main modes of water transport. Days like this were perfect for letting him out to play.

But Gyarados did not exactly fit nicely on city streets, so Adrammalech usually stayed in his Poke Ball in urban environs. Magnolia would have to stick with letting out smaller Pokemon for now.

She and Slawomir made their way down the winding path, out the garden gates and into Malie City proper. It looked like a Johto town deposited in the middle of Alola, with tile roofs and paper lanterns hanging from eaves. There was even a pretend Kantonian Gym, which really brought Magnolia back to the days when she was a young trainer earning her Gym Badges.

"The library should be this way, I think," she muttered, pulling out a map. "These city blocks are so square and samey that it's hard to orient yourself if you don't know the place well…" Glancing up at the road ahead of them, she trailed off. Walking toward them was a familiar figure.

The tall man in a smart white coat didn't seem to notice them as he strode down the street, an umbrella in one hand as he flicked the screen of a tablet with the other hand. But Magnolia definitely recognized him—no one else could pull off a swoop of blue hair swirling around a blond head like that.

As he drew closer, Magnolia called out, "Colress!"

Colress looked up at the professor and did a double take. "Ah—Magnolia!" he said. "Imagine running into you here!"

"How's your research coming?" Magnolia asked. "I haven't seen you in years!"

"Oh, it's coming along quite well!" Colress said, tapping away at his tablet. He wore a strange mechanism on one arm that he glanced at before swiping his tablet screen again. "And yours?"

"Great!" Magnolia said. "I've been exploring Alola for the past few months now. What brings you here?"

Colress looked up at her and his expression grew thoughtful. "Well—" he began to say before stopping himself. "Well… it's funny you should ask. This is something that might interest you. I'm here in Malie to meet two of my associates at the library. Would you care to accompany me?"

"Sure!" Magnolia said, and she and Slawomir fell into step beside the researcher as they splashed down the wet streets. "This is Slawomir, by the way," she said. "I'm helping him become a Salamence."

Colress smiled down at the Pokemon. "A pleasure to meet you, Slawomir," he said. "You've done well in choosing a Trainer who brings out the potential of her Pokemon."

"And how are your Pokemon doing?" Magnolia asked.

"Quite well," Colress said. He patted his side, where Poke Balls hung at his belt beneath his coat. "Tell me—have you heard of Ultra Space?"

Magnolia raised an eyebrow. "That was all over the news when I first came to Alola," she said. "Is that what you've been working on?"

"I've certainly been working on studying it," Colress said. "How much of Alola have you seen?"

On the way to the library, Magnolia told Colress all about her adventures in Alola so far. She'd met Professor Kukui and learned about the Island Challenge, and a few new Pokemon had even joined her ever-growing family, including Slawomir.

"So I explored pretty much all of Melemele and Akala Islands," Magnolia said as they turned a corner and Malie Library came into view, "and I'm just starting to get a look around Ula'ula. We got here just last night, in fact, and we've spent all morning in Malie Garden."

"Sounds like you've been keeping nice and busy," Colress said. "Ah, here are my associates." He pointed to two figures standing under the eaves of the library.

Magnolia's smile froze into a look of confusion, because they were the strangest people she had ever seen. The two, a man and a girl, wore unusual white and blue uniforms with goggles that covered their eyes, and what she could see of their skin was pale blue. The girl rocked back and forth on her heels, her orange braid swinging merrily, while the man beside her stood like a soldier on guard.

"Hello there, you two," Colress said when he got closer, waving his tablet in greeting. "Are you enjoying the rain?"

The girl nodded. "It rains so much in this world!" she said. "Every day—several times a day! I've never seen so much water in my life!"

Colress chuckled. "There are many places in this world where it rains less," he said. "Alola is located in an especially wet climate, being an island archipelago." He motioned to the professor. "This is an old friend and fellow researcher of mine, Professor Magnolia. Magnolia, these are my associates from the Ultra Recon Squad, Dulse and Zossie," he said, pointing to the man and the girl respectively.

"Nice to meet you," Magnolia said, extending a hand for them to shake.

Instead of taking it, Dulse and Zossie moved their hands in a rather square-ish approximation of the native Alolan greeting. "An Alola to you, Professor," Dulse said. "Have you come to assist us in the rescue project?"

Magnolia looked over at Colress. "Rescue?" she asked. "What's going on?"

"I guess that's a 'no'," Zossie said with a giggle.

"Wait—really, what's happening?" Magnolia asked. "This sounds serious."

"I'll fill you in as soon as we get inside," Colress said, moving to the library doors.

As Dulse opened one, a woman leaned out. "I'm afraid we're closed right now," she said. "The roof is leaking and we're scrambling to keep all of the books dry."

"Ma'am, this is important business," Colress said.

"I'm sorry," the librarian said, "but can you come back in a few hours?"

"Well… I suppose," Colress said. "But—"

"Thanks," the librarian said, closing the door.

The researcher grimaced and turned back to the others. "So much for our meeting location," he said.

"I'm sure there's somewhere else in this great big city where we can sit and talk!" Zossie said. "Preferably somewhere with food!"

Magnolia grinned. "Hey—I saw a malasada shop a few blocks back," she said. "Let's go for lunch there! My treat!"

"I have found malasadas to be quite tasty," Dulse said. "I am in agreeance with this idea."

"Sure, why not," Colress said. "I don't think there was anything specifically at the library that we needed. Burnet and I have already combed their collections for information."

So it was back to tromping through the rain, which did not seem to want to let up. Magnolia sort of wanted to let Adrammalech back out of his Poke Ball just because he would enjoy all of this water so much. But he would also crowd out half the street, so she held off on that.

"You two are from another world entirely?" she asked Dulse and Zossie as they finally ducked into the malasada shop. Magnolia and Colress set their umbrellas to dry in the corner, and then they got in line to order.

"That's right!" Zossie said. "All sorts of interesting things happened here in Alola a few months back!"

"Stuff about the Aether Foundation and a Pokemon called Necrozma, right?" Magnolia asked. "I'm still learning about all of it. Seems I got here just a little too late—just like last time," she said, shooting an impish grin at Colress.

He returned it with a smile. "That's right," he said. "But perhaps it worked out better that way."

"Now I'm curious," Zossie said. "How do you two know each other?"

"It's an interesting story," Magnolia said, "and I'll tell it to you after we order."


	2. Chapter 2

Malasadas, Professor Magnolia decided, were Alola's gift to the world. As they sat down at one of the booths, she bit into hers and a look of utter bliss spread over her face. The sweet, crispy dough gave way to a soft, chewy interior with a generous cream filling. "Ohhh yeah," she sighed. "These are the best."

"Frankly, I'm surprised even artificial Pokemon like them," Colress said as he gave one to his Porygon-Z. The computer program Pokemon wheeled its paddle-like arms excitedly as it somehow absorbed the food into its body.

"Malasadas are the universal language," Magnolia said as she fed one to Slawomir. The Dragon-type munched on the tasty treat through the hole in his shell, but only looked mildly pleased. She knew all he could think about right now was evolution. It must have been agonizing to feel so close to something he could just not quite achieve yet. Sympathetically, she reached over and patted his shell, and he let out a small grunt of appreciation.

"Tell us how you met!" Zossie said. "I mean, please!"

Magnolia laughed. "Okay, okay," she said. "Did you know Colress was once the boss of Team Plasma?"

Dulse blinked. "What?" he asked. "Team Plasma—that's the team that Ghetsis fellow was the head of in his world! Was it different here?"

"Mm… yes and no," Colress said, trying to disguise his embarrassment by adjusting his glasses. "Ghetsis was always ultimately in charge of Team Plasma here as well… but when I joined him, I assumed the mantle of boss to keep him safe."

"You were a bad guy?" Zossie asked.

Colress looked over at her. "I had no concept of such things," he said. "All I cared about was my research. I just wanted to study the true strength of Pokemon, no matter where that took me." He turned to his Porygon-Z, studying it as though reliving those days long past. "Out of sheer curiosity, I allowed a young Pokemon Trainer access to Ghetsis. That Trainer ended up defeating him and permanently putting an end to his ambitions."

"Where did that leave you?" Dulse asked.

"I felt… lost," Colress said. "In the pursuit of knowledge, I had followed a man I detested, and treated Pokemon and humans like mere objects to further my research. And all of that got me nowhere. I hated what I had done, what I had become, and I didn't know where to go from there. That was when Magnolia showed up."

"I was exploring the Unova region at the time," Magnolia said, "and I was in Opelucid City when Team Plasma put it under a deep-freeze. My Pokemon and I raced after the Plasma Frigate, but by the time we got to the Giant Chasm, Ghetsis was gone. We did, however, find Colress."

"And I'm glad you did," Colress said. He looked back to Dulse and Zossie. "She talked to me about what had happened, and helped me see that knowledge is not more important than the well-being of others. She helped me understand that I should use my research to help people and Pokemon. Because of that, I decided to disband Team Plasma and look for answers the right way—by fostering my bonds with my Pokemon." He put a hand on Porygon-Z's shiny round body, and it let out an artificial-sounding cry and nudged his head with its beak affectionately.

"I'm so glad to see you're doing better," Magnolia said. "I knew you had so much potential to do so much good for this world with your research."

Zossie swallowed another bite of her malasada. "Wow, what a story!" she said. "Colress, why didn't you tell all of us that before?"

"It's not really something I like to make public," Colress said. "I'm already infamous in Unova as it is. And considering what just happened with Team Rainbow Rocket, I don't want Alola to associate me with Ghetsis as well."

"I heard about the Team Rainbow Rocket thing, too," Magnolia said. "I can't believe there are other worlds out there where all of those bosses actually succeeded…" She clenched her fists. "Somebody's gotta go stop them!"

"The Ultra Recon Squad is making plans for just such a thing, don't worry," Dulse said. "But it will require quite a bit of preparation. From what Colress tells us, these men have become extremely powerful—most of them have harnessed the power of legendary Pokemon, even."

Magnolia frowned. "Okay… I guess that is a problem," she said. "Well—good luck with that. And let me know if I can help! Those guys don't scare me! Right, Slawomir?" He grunted in agreement, pawing the floor. "Oh yeah—speaking of helping, what were you saying about a rescue mission?"

Colress sat back in his seat and said, "All right, I think it's about time I explained everything to you. Some years ago, an associate of mine named Professor Mohn went missing while investigating the Ultra Wormhole phenomenon. His wife has worked tirelessly to try to find him, but to no avail." He glanced over at the Recon Squad members. "Now that the whole Necrozma issue has been resolved, we've decided to put more effort into recovering him. We believe that we, Lusamine, and Professor Burnet may be able to recreate his research and follow his path through Ultra Space."

"Wow," Professor Magnolia said. "Yeah, if anybody can do it, I'm sure it's you! Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Actually… I was hoping to be able to ask," Colress said. "If it's not too much trouble—we've been making final preparations to depart to Ultra Space using the coordinates we reconstructed from Mohn's data. But I admit we were all rather apprehensive about the journey. I'm a passable Trainer, but battling isn't really my strong suit. Dulse and Zossie, well…"

"We only have three Pokemon between the two of us!" Zossie said. "You could call us beginning Trainers! But we definitely know about traversing Ultra Space, so you'll need us along!"

Magnolia grinned. "I see where this is going," she said. "You need some muscle to back you up."

"Only if you want to," Colress said. "Like I said… I'm not sure what we're going to find on the other side."

"All the better reason for me to help," Magnolia said. "I'm in. When do we leave?"

Dulse's jaw dropped. "You would help us so suddenly?" he asked. "Without any thought of reward?"

"Of course," Magnolia said. "Someone's in trouble. I'm not gonna sit that out."

Colress smiled. "I thought not," he said. "Thank you, Magnolia. I'll make it up to you someday."

"Nah, no worries," Magnolia said, waving a hand at him. "I just want you to be happy. That's what you can do for me, okay?"

"I'll try," Colress said.

"Atta boy," Magnolia said. "Now let's go get Mohn back." She looked down at her food. "After we eat, I mean. Can't be heroes on an empty stomach."

"Gon," Slawomir said in agreement, and Magnolia fed him another malasada.


	3. Chapter 3

A day later, Magnolia found herself and several others assembled in the Dimensional Research Lab in Heahea City. She had eschewed her usual brown fedora for a helmet like Dulse's and Zossie's, and Colress wore similar headgear.

"Good luck, you four," Professor Burnet said. "Don't worry—we'll be monitoring your progress from here." She motioned to the bank of displays and controls behind them. "If you run into any trouble, pull out, okay?"

"I'm not coming back without Mohn," Magnolia said. "Lusamine's waited long enough." She smiled at the blonde woman beside Burnet.

Lusamine did not return her smile. "Just… be careful," she said. "We cannot afford to lose anyone else."

Magnolia gave her a thumbs-up, and then climbed onto the back of a Solgaleo that stood patiently in the laboratory, next to a Lunala. The two large Pokemon barely fit into the facility, but they needed to open an Ultra Wormhole here so that the researchers who stayed behind could track them. Zossie, also astride the gleaming white creature, smiled over her shoulder at the professor.

Meanwhile, Colress and Dulse clung to the back of the Lunala. Gripping one of its shoulder spikes, Colress looked down at the device on his arm. "Don't worry," he said to Lusamine. "If anything happens, I should be able to bring us back quickly with my dimensional shunter. It's designed to return things to their own dimension." He smiled. "It's worked once before, and I've been tinkering with it since then." He tapped the screen. "The coordinates are set."

"May your journey go smoothly," Lusamine said.

"All right, let's get this show on the road!" Zossie said. "Solgaleo, Lunala, if you please!"

Professor Burnet leaned close to a nearby console as the two Pokemon steadied themselves. Solgaleo let out a deafening roar, and Lunala emitted a piercing screech, and Magnolia cringed, putting her hands over her ears.

In front of them, space warped and twisted, and in a burst of light, a tunnel formed out of nothing. It swirled and glowed hypnotically, and if Magnolia looked hard enough, she thought she could see the very threads of time and space that wove into a passageway through reality—a wormhole. She sucked in a breath.

"Here we go!" Zossie said, and Solgaleo charged forward. Lunala flapped its wings and followed.

They plunged into the Ultra Wormhole and Magnolia wrapped her arms around Zossie to keep from falling off. As they soared through the dimensional slipstream, it was as though Magnolia was seeing the universe from the inside-out, or perhaps seeing the strange netherspace between universes.

And all around them, light streamed from what seemed like punctures in space. Those were white holes, Magnolia realized, that must have led to an infinity of other universes. The thought was staggering. And it made her smile with giddy glee to know that there would always be so much more to explore.

Suddenly everything around them lurched, so violently that it made Magnolia nauseous. The colors swirled and became murky, and Magnolia felt like invisible forces were pulling on her from all directions. Solgaleo let out a pained roar, and Lunala, close behind, sounded similarly distressed.

A surge of fear filled Magnolia and her grip on Zossie tightened. "What's going on?!" the professor shouted, although her words seemed to slip away and become garbled in the chaos.

"Something's interfering—with—" Zossie began to say, but then it felt like everything shattered around them and they fell into a brief flash of light, followed by utter darkness.

* * *

Slowly, Professor Magnolia realized she was awake. She lay on something hard and cold, and her whole body hurt. With great effort, she opened her eyes—and then sat up in shock. She, Colress, Dulse, and Zossie were in a prison cell. They were hemmed in on all sides by dark stone, and light filtered weakly through the barred window in the door.

"What the…" Magnolia breathed as she pushed herself to her feet. Instinctively she reached for her trusty satchel—gone. Her heart sank. They'd confiscated her Pokemon.

"Good, you're all right," Colress said. He had been sitting against the wall, but now he stood up and looked over at the Recon Squad members, who were still out. "For a moment back there I thought we were done for."

"Do you know where we are?" Magnolia asked.

Colress shook his head. "We were pulled from the Ultra Wormhole prematurely, that's all I know," he said. His hand moved to his wrist—the device was gone. "And someone took my dimensional shunter." He frowned. "I'm beginning to suspect this was not an accident."

Magnolia stared at him. His thoughts unfortunately made sense. "But who would do this?" she asked. "Who would think to do this? And… who would have the ability to do this?"

He opened his mouth to say something, but then the sound of footsteps on stone outside made him pause. A shadowed figure appeared in front of the door. Although he was hard to see in the dim light, Magnolia thought his profile looked familiar.

"Excellent, you're awake," he said in an unmistakable voice. "Now you can answer my questions."

"Only if you answer ours," Colress said in an identical voice. "You're the one who brought us here, aren't you… Colress?"


	4. Chapter 4

Magnolia's stomach twisted as her suspicions were confirmed. Colress was, indeed, talking to himself—to another Colress. And this new Colress had a hard, cruel edge to his tone.

"Ow, my head," Zossie said, sitting up. "Dulse, you okay?" She reached over and shook her partner's shoulder.

He moaned and stirred, rolling over and pulling up his goggles to rub his face. "Zossie…?" he groaned. "What happened…?"

"It worked, that's what happened!" the other Colress said with a laugh. "My dimensional shunter device worked!"

"I've made one of those, too," Colress said.

"I know," said the other Colress. "It's in my lab right now. I've been having a wonderful time disassembling it. Although it seems yours is intended to return people to their home dimensions, while mine instead pulls people from Ultra Wormholes as they travel—fascinating!"

The color drained from Colress's face, and Magnolia stepped toward the door with a frown. "Where are our Pokemon?" she asked.

"Also in the lab," Colress said. "The two big ones would have been quite a problem to subdue, but thankfully it seems the shunting weakened them enough that we were able to contain them. Having them in my possession should assist greatly in my dimensional research!"

"What about the others?" Magnolia asked.

The other Colress rubbed his chin. "I would love to run some tests on them, seeing as they're from another dimension," he said. "Unfortunately, that oaf Ghetsis will probably want them for himself. Hopefully he won't find out about the big ones. He's already got enough powerful Pokemon as it is."

Colress stiffened. "Ghetsis succeeded in his plans to rule your world, didn't he," he said.

"Naturally," the other Colress said. "Now then. I expect my questions answered to my satisfaction. You don't have a choice in the matter."

"We'll see about that," Magnolia grumbled under her breath, standing her ground.

"Just what are you planning?" Zossie asked.

"Well, no harm in telling you, I suppose," the other Colress said as he reached to unlock the door. "I'm planning on expanding my research. Ghetsis wants me to unlock the secrets of the Ultra Wormholes and learn to control them so that he can send Team Plasma out to conquer every dimension. I'll let that pompous windbag do whatever he wants so long as he funds my research. What I'm after is knowledge, pure and simple."

"Then you're missing the point!" Colress said. "You're supposed to use that knowledge to help people and Pokemon! You've got it all backwards!"

The other Colress shot him a cold glare. "You're the one who has it backwards," he said. "It's sad to see that in another world, I've grown so soft and weak. I won't let any inhibitions stop me from discovering truth!"

He opened the door, and Magnolia ran to tackle him. But he wasn't alone. The Beheeyem beside him raised its arms, and the lights on its hands flashed. Magnolia rose into the air, levitated by psychic power, and the others did as well.

The other Colress laughed. "I'm not stupid," he said. "All right, other me, it's time to pick your brain. Unless you want to see something happen to your useless friends, here." Colress struggled in the air, but Beheeyem's telekinesis had a firm hold on him.

"Hold up," Magnolia said.

"What is it?" the other Colress asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Don't you want to see how our Pokemon fare in a battle against yours?" Magnolia asked. "I bet you've never battled against Pokemon from another dimension before."

The other Colress took a breath. "Well—that can wait," he said. "My research always comes first."

"But this is such a great research opportunity," Magnolia said. "You know that a trainer's strength lies in their Pokemon. You say you're after truth, right? Wouldn't you like to see how a trainer battles who believes in kindness and compassion?" She grinned. "Afraid I'll be stronger than you?"

For a long moment, the other Colress looked at her, seeming to be mentally weighing his options. Magnolia just hoped that her offer would be as irresistible to him as to his dimensional counterpart.

Finally, he said, "A battle to decide who's right? Ah yes, that's the way it was always done in the old days. Many of Ghetsis's grunts still use that tactic to resolve their petty arguments." Glancing aside, he pushed up his glasses. "And my research has shown that Pokemon seem to display their truest strength when their Trainers are fighting for something they believe in…" He looked back to Magnolia. "Fine. I accept your challenge."

Magnolia grinned. "Gonna need my Pokemon back, ace," she said.

"Don't call me that," the other Colress said. He turned and walked back down the hall, and his Beheeyem followed, keeping the four dimensional travelers in its psychic tow.

"I don't like being called that either," Colress said as they floated along the hallway. "So I suppose that's one thing the two of us have in common."

"I'm glad you're not also a sociopath," Zossie said. "Magnolia, are you sure you can take him on?"

"I can sure try," Magnolia said. "Anyone have any other ideas?" When they did not reply, she said, "Well, start thinking of backup plans just in case. Although I'm sure gonna try my best to make sure there's not a 'just in case'."


	5. Chapter 5

The other Colress took them out of what appeared to be the dungeons, up into the higher levels of an extravagant palace. Team Plasma grunts patrolled the hallways, and stared curiously at the strange party as they passed.

"What is this place?" Zossie asked.

"The castle of King N," the other Colress said. "And Team Plasma headquarters. Plenty of room for an extensive laboratory among all this tacky finery."

"It's still so weird to wrap my head around the idea of a world where Ghetsis succeeded," Magnolia said. "Did you bring Professor Mohn here, too?"

"Who?" the other Colress asked. "No—you four are my first success in this part of the project."

"Well, at least we know where Mohn _isn't_ ," Zossie said.

Dulse sighed. "Hopefully those coordinates we were able to reconstruct from our research are still accurate," he said. "Assuming we can get out of here."

"Who is this Mohn fellow?" the other Colress asked. "Does he know about Ultra Wormholes, too?"

"Mohn is a friend," Colress said, "who we're trying to get back to his family. Because they love him and miss him."

His doppelganger shrugged. "How disappointing," he said. "Such a waste of energy to care about other people."

Finally they reached the laboratories, a sprawling, high-tech facility that seemed rather out-of-place in N's ornate castle. Here, all sorts of machines were running, and scientists bent over their work, taking notes on tablets. Magnolia couldn't see Solgaleo or Lunala anywhere, and she hoped everyone's Pokemon were all right.

"My dimensional shunter!" Colress said, looking at an array of parts on a table. "Do you know how long I worked on that?!"

"Four years," the other Colress said. "Because that's the same amount of time I spent developing mine, of course."

He took them to a set of shelves holding Poke Balls, with a touchscreen on each shelf. He tapped his fingers over it, and magnetic clamps unlatched from the balls with Magnolia's mark on them. "I expect a good battle," he said as he handed them to her.

Magnolia inspected the Poke Balls. "I hope you guys are okay," she said to her Pokemon. "Sorry—I didn't know this was going to happen."

"None of us did," Dulse said.

"Well, I'm not giving up," Magnolia said. "We can still figure out a way out of this. We can still find Mohn. I believe in us."

"Me too!" Zossie said.

"Same," Colress said. "And I believe we're right, regardless of the outcome of this battle."

"Of course," Magnolia said. "Although I'm still gonna crush him."

With Beheeyem still levitating them, the other Colress brought them to a large, round room that looked like an arena, with an opulent spectator's seat at one end. "If you're wondering," he said, "this is where Ghetsis holds Pokemon battles for his own entertainment. Although it also works well as a testing facility when I need to observe Pokemon battles." He looked up and around at the instrumentation mounted around the arena. "Beheeyem, release my opponent."

The Pokemon warbled and the lights on its hands flashed, and it let Magnolia go from its telekinesis. She dropped to the floor and dusted herself off. "How many Pokemon are we using?" she asked.

"Three each," Colress said. "I don't want this to take too much time." He removed a Poke Ball from his pocket. "Let's begin! Go, Magnezone!" He tossed the Poke Ball into the air.

"A Magnezone?" the Colress from Magnolia's world asked. "Impressive."

The other Colress smirked. "Turns out all of the devices I've installed in this room produce a pretty strong electromagnetic field," he said. "That can be quite useful."

Magnolia threw one of her own Poke Balls. "Slawomir! Let's do this!" she said.

In a flash of light the Pokemon appeared. Slawomir stared down his opponent, and Magnolia knew they were both thinking the same thing—this could be the battle where he evolved. She was hoping for that just as much as he was.

"Magnezone, Thunder Wave!" Colress said. The mechanical creature spun its magnets and heavy electromagnetic waves flowed from its body, toward Slawomir. The Shelgon did not even have time to dodge before the waves slammed into him. He let out a garbled cry and stepped forward jerkily.

Magnolia bit her lip. "Show 'em what you're made of, Slawomir!" she said. "A little paralysis won't stop you! Brick Break!"

"G-Gon!" Slawomir said, steadying himself.

"Flash Cannon!" Colress said, and Magnezone began to glow.

Slawomir's eyes hardened. Shaking himself off, he charged toward the other Pokemon. "Gogon!" he snarled, launching himself into the air. His hard shell connected with Magnezone, sending the metallic Pokemon tumbling. It buzzed irately as its body sparked, and it spun its magnets weakly while it sank to the floor.

"Magnezone, get up!" Colress shouted. It let out another mechanical cry as it wobbled on its round chassis, then lay still. "Ugh…" The scientist recalled it into its Poke Ball and pulled out another. "Klinklang! Go!"

"Throwing another Steel-type at me?" Magnolia said under her breath as the gear-shaped Pokemon appeared. "Welp, your choice. Slawomir, Brick Break!"

Colress gritted his teeth. "Shift Gear!" he shouted.

Klinklang's gears began to spin, and it deftly moved out of the way of Slawomir. Undeterred, the Dragon-type pivoted and charged it again, and Klinklang dodged again.

"Change of plans," Magnolia said. "Crunch!"

"Gon!" Slawomir leaped for Klinklang. Once more it moved out of the way, but he wasn't trying to tackle it this time—he just managed to catch its outer ring in the hole in his shell. Klinklang let out a discordant noise as Slawomir dragged it to the floor.

"Brick Break!" Magnolia commanded.

Slawomir let go of Klinklang—and then slammed into it at full force. Gears spinning, it bounced away and just barely managed to right itself before it hit the floor again. It let out metallic creaks and clacks, almost like it was panting.

"Now for the finishing blow," Magnolia said. "Brick Break!"

Colress frowned deeply and pushed up his glasses. "Giga Impact!" he shouted.

Klinklang took a moment to gather its strength, then it glowed with a fierce aura, and its gears whirred as it flew toward Slawomir, meeting his charge head-on. "Slawomir!" Magnolia yelled. "Look out—"

The two Pokemon collided, and the energy rocked the room, making Magnolia and Colress stagger. When the smoke cleared, Slawomir lay dazed and Klinklang floated above him.

"Well-played," Magnolia said. Biting the inside of her cheek, she recalled Slawomir, knowing the dragon Pokemon was probably disappointed. So this wouldn't be the battle where he evolved, after all. But there would be a next time—at least, if they could get out of this pickle.

She reached for another Poke Ball and tossed it into the battlefield. "Your turn, Fermi!" she said.

"Charja!" the Charjabug said as he inched toward Klinklang.

This universe's Colress scoffed. "You're sending out a grub against my Steel-type?" he asked.

Magnolia frowned. Fermi was much stronger than he looked—by all rights, he should have evolved into a Vikavolt by now, but for some reason, no matter how much he battled, evolution just wasn't coming.

It didn't help that Magnolia wasn't entirely sure how Charjabug evolved—there could have been some other factor besides sheer strength. She'd heard there was an Electric-type specialist on Ula'ula Island, so she had been hoping to ask him about the matter. Right now, though, she had much bigger things on her plate.

And there was no point in trying to argue with a mad scientist when actions spoke louder than words. "Okay, Fermi—Dig!" she said. The Bug-type used his mandibles to begin to burrow into the packed earth of the arena floor.

"Wild Charge!" Colress said, and Klinklang crackled with electricity as it zoomed toward Fermi.

The Charjabug looked up at his opponent and steeled himself. In a burst of sparks, Klinklang connected. Magnolia clenched her fists. She was confident in her Pokemon's strength, but it was still hard to watch him take an attack like this.

Colress wore a smug smirk, but as the light faded, it turned into a look of surprise. Fermi had barely been budged from his excavation project, and the grub shot a glare at Klinklang before continuing to dig.

Magnolia grinned. This world's Colress didn't know that Charjabug was part Electric-type. Not that she'd tell him, of course.

Klinklang swerved around for another attempt, but Charjabug disappeared into his burrow and the mechanical Pokemon hovered over the hole uselessly.

"Don't just stay there!" Colress said. "You're a sitting target! Shift Gear, now!" His Pokemon's gears spun, and with increased speed it whirred around the battlefield. "I'd like to see your little bug try to land a hit!" Colress said.

The professor narrowed her eyes. They needed more speed, and Charjabug were not known for being fast. Fermi's strength was useless if Klinklang could outmaneuver him. But there wasn't much she could do about it right now—except believe in him. "You can do it, Fermi!" she shouted. "I know you can! Take that thing down!"

The ground rumbled. A path of upturned dirt raced toward Klinklang, growing faster and faster until it started to chase the Steel-type around. Klinklang was having trouble staying away. Magnolia was confused. Fermi couldn't move that fast—could he?

As Klinklang turned to avoid its pursuer, the floor exploded in dirt and dust, and a large, angular, dark blue shape rammed into the Steel-type. Klinklang let out a discordant cry and tumbled to the floor, gears grinding to a halt. "Vikaaa!" its insectoid opponent cried, wings buzzing and abdomen aglow.

"What—what is that thing?" Colress asked as he withdrew Klinklang. "How did it get here?"

"I'm not sure," Magnolia said, narrowing her eyes as she studied the new Pokemon.

"That's a Vikavolt!" Zossie said. "It evolves from Charjabug!"

"Vika!" the Vikavolt said as it buzzed over to Magnolia, while Klinklang struggled in vain to get up.

"Fermi!" Magnolia said. "It's really you, I can't believe it! You did it!" She threw her arms around Fermi and he hugged her back with his forelegs, his abdomen sparking in joy.

This universe's Colress scowled as he recalled Klinklang. "Unfortunate timing," he muttered.

"But how did you evolve?" Magnolia asked, inspecting Fermi's wings and mandibles. "I thought you should have gained more than enough experience in battle by now."

"Oh—" the Colress from her world said, pushing up his glasses. "I've heard that Charjabug only evolve in the presence of a strong electromagnetic field."

"Ah, that would explain it!" Magnolia said. She looked up at the equipment hanging from the ceiling and grinned. "And it's all thanks to our good buddy, Other Colress."

"Don't get too cocky," that Colress said as he took out another Poke Ball. "You've still got one Pokemon left to defeat. Go, Rotom!" He flung the Poke Ball, and out popped a Rotom with a cubical body and blue energy appendages.

"Oh, looks like that Rotom's possessed a washing machine," the other Colress said. "Nice choice. I should try that sometime."

"Yeah, this should be fun," Magnolia said. "Fermi, go get 'em! X-Scissor, now!"

"Kaaaa!" Fermi cried as he sped toward the other Electric-type.

"Hydro Pump!" Colress shouted. His Rotom flew across the arena, charging Fermi head-on, and opened the door on its washing machine. A flood of water gushed out, slamming into Fermi and sending the Bug-type flying.

It slammed into the wall and slid to the floor, legs and wings twitching. "Vi… vikaaa…" it moaned.

"Fermi!" Magnolia said. She ran over and picked up her newly-evolved Pokemon. "It's okay, buddy," she said. "You did great. Just rest now." She recalled him into his Poke Ball and stood up. "Okay… let's finish this," she said as she took out another Poke Ball. "Go, Aurorus!"

In a flash of light, an enormous sauropod-like Pokemon appeared in the arena. "Auuuu!" he said as he reared up on his hind legs and brought his front legs slamming back down into the floor.

"This one doesn't have a nickname?" asked the Colress from Magnolia's world.

She adjusted her glasses. "I do like to nickname my Pokemon," she said, "but honestly I thought Aurorus's species name was so cool that I couldn't think of anything else! But you like that name too, right pal?" she asked her Pokemon.

"Rus!" Aurorus said with a smile.

Magnolia returned it with a confident grin. "Okay then," she said. "Hyper Beam!" The ice crystals on Aurorus's sides began to glow.

"Substitute!" the other Colress ordered. His Rotom buzzed, and the blue energy surrounding it intensified.

"Auuuu!" Aurorus howled as power blasted from his crystals, engulfing Rotom.

Magnolia bit her lip. "Did we get it…?" she muttered to herself.

The light faded—and then what had appeared to be Rotom faded away into mere energy. "Ro!" Rotom said as it popped out from behind its substitute.

"Discharge!" Colress said, and electricity crackled around Rotom. Before Magnolia could order Aurorus to do anything else, Rotom let loose its attack.

"Russs!" Aurorus cried as lightning arced around it. The mighty Pokemon wavered on his feet and then fell to the ground.

Magnolia had lost.


	6. Chapter 6

"No…" Zossie said. "No—let her use one more Pokemon!"

"We agreed on three each," Colress said as he withdrew Rotom, putting its Poke Ball back in the pocket of his lab coat. "What's fair is fair."

Magnolia nodded. "Well… I'd say it was a fun battle," she said with a smile. "And Fermi evolved, so that's awesome!"

"And it seems my ideals hold up," Colress said. "I am correct in working under the assumption that seeking knowledge is the most important thing in this life."

Magnolia looked at him for a moment—and then began to laugh. It was a good-natured laugh, not a mocking one, but Colress still looked offended. "What's so funny?" he asked with a scowl.

The professor shook her head. "Colress… Pokemon battles never decide who's right and wrong," she said. "If that were the case, trainers with strong Pokemon would always be right, and think of how much havoc that would wreak."

"But this battle was to decide who was right!" Colress said.

"I never said that," Magnolia said, "nor did I agree to it. That was something you decided."

Colress clenched his fists. "This was just a ploy to get out of the dungeons, wasn't it," he said.

"Of course," Magnolia said. "But I hope you'll also understand why you should let us go, and why you should stop doing what you're doing."

The researcher scanned the floor, obviously trying to piece together everything in his mind. "No…" he said, looking back up at her. "No! You're all fools! Your idiotic ethics are keeping you from so many amazing scientific breakthroughs!"

"It's not worth it," the Colress from Magnolia's world said. "Trust me."

The other Colress frowned deeply like a scolded child. "Well, there's only one way to find out," he said. "I'll do all the research I can, and then I'll see which of us is right!"

"I think you'd regret that," Magnolia said, "and I'm definitely not going to let you hurt anyone anymore." She grinned and pulled another Poke Ball out of her bag. "So thanks for giving me my Pokemon back. Go, Adrammalech!" She threw the ball and the Gyarados inside burst out with a roar.

The other Colress stiffened. "Beheeyem, Psychic!" he called.

"Crunch!" Magnolia said. Beheeyem raised its glowing hands, but Adrammalech dove at it and snatched the Psychic-type up in his jaws, flinging it aside.

"Let's go!" Magnolia said to the others as they were released from Beheeyem's telekinetic hold. "We have to rescue Solgaleo and Lunala!" They ran from the room, Adrammalech close behind, and he aimed a parting shot of water at Beheeyem and the other Colress.

"Do you remember the way back to the lab?" Dulse asked as they sprinted down the hall of the vast castle.

"Err—no," Magnolia said. "But if we keep running, we're bound to get somewhere, right?"

"Makes sense to me!" Zossie said.

"Excuse us!" Magnolia said to a couple of Team Plasma Grunts in the hall. "Could you direct us to the lab?"

In reply, they pulled out Poke Balls. "Stop, in the name of the king!" one of them said.

"Colress alerted us to your escape!" said the other. "Go, Purrloin!"

As the little purple cat Pokemon emerged from its Poke Ball, Magnola narrowed her eyes at it. "A Purrloin, seriously?" she asked. Adrammalech, who towered over them, looked equally unsure.

"In a world where no one else has Pokemon," Colress says, "enforcers wouldn't need very strong Pokemon anyway."

"True," Magnolia said. "Adrammalech, Surf!"

The Gyarados let out a gushing torrent of water from his mouth, sweeping away the Purrloin, and Magnolia and her companions ran past the stunned Grunts. "What a sad world this is," Magnolia said. "Because nobody has Pokemon, nobody gets to experience the joy of growing stronger with them."

"Makes me wanna get back to Alola even quicker," Zossie said.

"I just wonder if there's some way we can help this world," Magnolia said. "Finding Mohn and getting back to Alola safely is important, but I don't feel right about just leaving this world to suffer under Ghetsis."

"Halt!" another Grunt said as several more poured out of a doorway. They must have been told that Magnolia had a Gyarados, because they tossed Poke Balls and out came a Zebstrika and two Eelektross.

"Okay, that's trouble," Magnolia said. The only other Pokemon she had with her had been incapacitated in her battle with Colress, and she did not want to risk Adrammalech as well.

"Quick—down this way!" Dulse said, pointing to a side corridor nearby. They all made a dash for the corridor, ducking around the corner as arcs of Electric-type attacks thundered down the main hall.

"Do you think we lost 'em?" Zossie asked as they ran.

"Not for long," Magnolia said. They had to find their way back to the lab, but now the place would be crawling with Grunts with the orders to take them down. That would make things much harder—especially since she only had one Pokemon able to fight.

On the other side of the corridor, they emerged into another large hallway, lined with tall windows. Outside was a courtyard filled with lush foliage, like a bit of natural forest in the middle of the castle.

That gave Magnolia an idea. If they couldn't fight, they would have to resort to sneakier tactics. She recalled Adrammalech as boots and Pokemon feet thudded on the marble floor behind them. "Over here!" she said to her companions, leading them to a pair of doors to the courtyard. She pulled open one of the doors and they rushed inside.

Magnolia dove into some nearby bushes and pulled the others in with her. For a heart-pounding moment she held her breath, watching the doors to see if anyone would follow them.

No one came. "Do you think we're safe?" Zossie whispered.

Suddenly something bumped her from behind. She yelped and fell forward, and Dulse had to grab her to keep her from falling out of the bush.

It was a Swoobat. "Swoo?" it asked as it perched on a branch, edging toward the humans curiously.

"What is it, Swoobat?" a young male voice asked. The branches above the four parted to reveal a young man with pale green hair, wearing elaborate robes and looking down at them, equally curious. "Colress?" he asked. "What are you doing here? Who are these other people?"

"Who are you?" Zossie asked as they picked themselves up and stepped out of the bushes. "Are you with Team Plasma?"

The man blinked. "Do you not know who I am?" he asked, putting his hand on a Darmanitan who had walked up beside him. "I'm N… the King of Team Plasma."


	7. Chapter 7

"Yes, of course," Colress muttered under his breath. "In this world…"

"What was that?" N asked. A Pidove fluttered over to him and he stretched out his arm so it could perch there. "My Pokemon friends are restless… they say there's trouble in my palace. My father's Pokemon are saying things about intruders." His eyes narrowed. "That wouldn't be why you're hiding, would it? What's going on, Colress?"

Dulse and Zossie looked at each other as though unsure how to respond. Even Magnolia didn't know what to say. She knew about the N from her world, but she had never met him, and she didn't know how continuing to live under Ghetsis's deception could have affected this N.

Colress took a step toward the king. "This may seem difficult to believe," the researcher said, "but I'm not the Colress you know. I'm a Colress from another world. My companions are also from that world."

"Oh, Dulse and I aren't," Zossie said. "I mean—we're also from another world, but not the same one as Colress and the professor! You get what I'm saying?"

N nodded. "That would explain why you look so different…" he said. "Why are you here? How did you get here?"

"The Colress from your world pulled us in," Magnolia said. "He's been experimenting with taking people from other dimensions."

"And he took our Pokemon from us!" Zossie said. "He was going to try to make our Colress help with his research, because Ghetsis wants to take over all the other dimensions, too!"

"Take over?" N asked. "My father doesn't take anything over. He only liberates Pokemon from humans so that both can live in peace."

Colress adjusted his glasses. "N, this will be hard for you to hear," he said, "but Ghetsis is lying to you. About everything."

N's eyes widened and he stepped back, leaning on the Darmanitan for support. "Wh-what?" he asked. "That can't be! My father is a kind and just man!"

"Separating people and Pokemon won't help anybody," Magnolia said. "We're supposed to share this world with each other. Yes, we're different, but it's those differences that make us such a great team." She looked around at the Pokemon who crowded around the young king like doting friends. "And it's true that some people misuse that connection with Pokemon, but we shouldn't punish everyone for the poor behavior of a few individuals."

"But no one uses that connection correctly," N said with a frown. He reached out to put a hand on the stony side of a Gigalith. "All of these Pokemon have been hurt by humans. They're living proof that the relationship between humans and Pokemon is a bad one."

"I thought you might say that," Colress said. "Because that's exactly what the N from my world thought. Because Ghetsis only let him come in contact with Pokemon who had been hurt by humans. If all you know is the negative side of the story, how can you ever believe in a positive side?"

N's fingers curled against the Gigalith's smooth facets. "I… how do I know I can believe you?" he asked.

"I don't think you'll ever take our word for it," Magnolia said. "I know you trust Ghetsis far more than some random strangers who showed up in your garden." She smiled and reached into her bag. "But I know you also trust Pokemon. So why don't you ask this one?" She pulled out Adrammalech's Poke Ball and clicked the button, and several Pokemon moved aside to make space for the gargantuan serpent-fish.

"Gya," Adrammalech said as he lowered his head to N. "Gyararaaaah."

N tilted his head, cradling his chin in his fingers. "Really?" he asked Adrammalech. "Is that so?"

"Rados," Adrammalech said.

"Is he… actually speaking with Adrammalech?" Dulse asked.

Colress nodded. "It's the boy's unique gift," he said. "He was raised by Pokemon, you know."

"Gosh, that's amazing!" Zossie said. "I wish we could understand what Pokemon are saying!"

"Right?" Magnolia said with a grin. "Although… even though we may not be able to understand their noises, I think we can still understand them with our hearts."

N let out a long sigh and turned to the other humans, seeming utterly shaken. "Dos," Adrammalech said, giving the man an encouraging nudge with his nose.

The king nodded to the Gyarados. "Thank you… my friend," N said before looking to Magnolia. "Your Gyarados tells me that there are many people in your world who treat Pokemon kindly, far more than the number of people who harm them. He says it should be no different in this world. And he says he remembers that the Ghetsis in your world wanted to separate people and Pokemon so that they would be powerless to stop him in his takeover."

"That would be correct," Colress said.

N swallowed hard. "Pokemon never lie to me," he said quietly. "But… what if the Ghetsis in my world is different?"

"Does he ever let you see what's going on outside this castle?" Dulse asked. "He tells you things are better when Pokemon and people are separated, but have you ever actually seen for yourself?"

"He says I shouldn't trouble myself with the outside world," N said, rubbing his arm. "He—he says a king should not expose himself to the corruption of those who do not understand our glorious philosophies."

"If you ask me," Magnolia said, "a true king should know the truth about his kingdom so he can help his subjects achieve their ideals."

N put a hand to his mouth. "Truth and ideals…" he murmured. "I was told the two were irreconcilable."

"They're two complementary parts of a greater whole," Magnolia said. "Just like people and Pokemon."

The young man thought for a moment, and then his gray eyes lit up. "Yes… yes, of course!" he said. "The two don't have to be separate! It—it makes more sense to have them working together!"

"That's right!" Zossie said. "Dulse and I have gotten so much stronger by going on adventures with our Pokemon, and I know our Pokemon feel the same way!"

"I've traveled all over my world," Magnolia said, "which isn't much different from yours, and I can tell you that everywhere I go, I see people and Pokemon working together for the benefit of everyone."

"Gyara!" Adrammalech said.

N looked up at the enormous Pokemon and smiled. "Your Gyarados says that he would never want to be separated from you," he said. "He and all of your other Pokemon regard you as their best friend. He says most of them asked to join you in your journeys, and because of you they've achieved more than they ever thought possible."

Magnolia grinned. "That's right," she said. "My Pokemon are my treasured companions—"

"There they are!" someone shouted from the door. Several Plasma Grunts stood there with Electric-types. "Get them!"


	8. Chapter 8

Magnolia froze, and Adrammalech looked like he wanted to try to charge through the Pokemon anyway, but before either of them could do anything, N stepped forward. "Halt!" he said to the Grunts. "Leave them be! That's an order!"

The Grunts exchanged confused glances. "Your Majesty, please," one of them said. "Let us handle this. You just enjoy your time with your Pokemon friends."

N clenched his fists. "Ghetsis has been lying to me, hasn't he," he said.

All of the Grunts looked like they'd been struck, and they looked at each other at a loss for words. "Uh—of course he hasn't!" one woman said. "Come on, don't be silly!"

"Your reaction says otherwise," N said. "Tell me, where is Ghetsis? I wish to speak to him."

"Your Majesty, don't trouble yourself about any of this," a man said. "You've got your own little safe place here with your Pokemon."

"I'm not a child!" N said, stepping toward them with a scowl. "And I won't be manipulated anymore! Tell me where Ghetsis is!"

The Grunts looked at each other and stammered wordlessly. "I… was not expecting this," one of them muttered.

"Should we tell the Sages?" another asked.

"Tell me! Now!" N shouted.

"He's in the throne room!" one of the Grunts yelped, and then they scrambled away.

Colress rubbed his chin. "How sad," he said. "Just like with their Pokemon, they've grown weak in their complacency. They're not used to anyone actually standing up to them."

"It's not just that…" N said, looking aside. "They're… afraid of me. Because I can talk to Pokemon." He looked down. "I overheard some of them talking once. They think that if they make me angry, I'll tell my friends to attack them." He grimaced. "One of them called me a freak without a human heart."

Magnolia frowned. Reaching over, she put a hand on the young man's shoulder. "That's garbage," she said. "You're not a freak, N. You're amazing. I think you're a living embodiment of what the relationship between people and Pokemon should be. Those things they said say more about them than about you."

He looked up at her through his messy green hair and smiled shyly. "Thanks," he said. "I never had anyone put it that way before."

"Again, you've just been fed far too much negative and none of the positive," Colress said. "Are you really going to talk to Ghetsis?"

"I have to," N said. "If you and your Pokemon are right—I can't let him keep doing what he's doing. It's not good for the Pokemon. It's not good for anyone."

"Would you let us come with you?" Colress asked. "If you can stop Ghetsis, I think that would greatly increase the chances of us getting back to our world safely. And we only have one Pokemon who can battle right now—and as you can see, someone told Ghetsis's lackeys about type matchups."

"Of course," N said. "The Grunts shouldn't give you any trouble if I'm with you."

"Why don't you take your Pokemon friends along, too?" Zossie asked. "They'd be a great help if we did need to battle."

"Oh…" N looked up as the Pidove from before decided to perch on his head. "These Pokemon don't battle," he said. "They aren't very strong. And for many of them… battling brings back bad memories."

"I understand," Magnolia said with a nod as she recalled Adrammalech. "Don't worry. I'm sure we can get through this by ourselves."

"What do you mean, you're sure?" Dulse asked. "It sounds like a risky proposition to me."

Magnolia scratched her chin. "Okay, I'm not _sure_ sure," she said. "It's not like I can see the future. But—I have confidence in us, and I really believe that as long as we try our hardest and don't give up, everything will work out in the end!" She put her hands on her hips. "Because if you don't have hope, you don't have much."

Zossie smiled. "I like that idea," she said. "After all, we didn't give up hope when Necrozma stole the light from our world, and look what happened there!"

"They got it back eventually," Colress explained to a confused N.

"Who's Necrozma?" N asked.

"An incredible Pokemon," Zossie said, "with power like you wouldn't believe! You should meet our Pokemon Lunala and Solgaleo, too!"

"Are there other Pokemon out there as well?" N asked.

"There are whole other worlds for you to explore outside of this castle," Magnolia said. She smiled. "Now let's go set you and everybody else free."

N nodded. "I hope my father listens to me," he said as he led the others to another door that connected to a long corridor. "Before, I always assumed he had my best interests in mind… now, I'm not so sure I believe that anymore."

"It can be tough realizing that somebody's a jerk," Magnolia said. "I'm sorry. But you deserve so much better than that. And because you're working to make things better, someday you'll find the friends and family that were meant for you—both Pokemon and humans."

"Do you really think so?" N asked.

"I'm sure of it," Magnolia said. "Really sure this time."

They passed through the palace with little trouble—it seemed the Grunts really were afraid to confront N, and the king's orders to let them pass in peace confused the Grunts enough that Magnolia never had to resort to battle. She was fully expecting Colress himself to come after them at some point, but he never showed up, and Magnolia wondered why.

As they reached what seemed to be the inner sanctum of the vast palace, two young women approached them. "Your Majesty…" said the woman with pink hair. "What are you doing here? Word has spread all over the castle that you're protecting Colress's prisoners."

"I've come to talk to my father, Anthea," N said. "I've learned the truth about what's going on."

Magnolia was worried that these women were Trainers – or at least would try to stop them – but then the woman with long blonde hair in a braid reached out and hugged N like an older sister. "We're so proud of you," she said. "I just wish we would have had the courage to help you ourselves. We knew what was going on with Ghetsis… and yet we did nothing."

N drew back and squeezed her hand. "We've all been foolish," he said with a small smile. "So let's fix it, now."

The two women grinned and nodded fervently. "What can we do to help?" Anthea asked. "Concordia and I don't know how to battle with Pokemon, but…"

"Tell everyone about my father's lies," N said. "They should all know the truth. Ghetsis has deceived them all."

Concordia nudged the floor with her toe. "Your Majesty… not everyone here works for Ghetsis because they believe what he preaches," she said. "There are many here who were perfectly aware of his ambitions, and they followed him because they were after power as well."

N blinked. "I—what a terrible thing to do," he said. "How could people be so weak and selfish…"

"Because people are awfully stupid sometimes," Colress said. He adjusted his glasses. "But… they can also be strong and brave, and incredibly selfless. And even the worst of people can change, if they really want to. It's what makes humanity so incredible."

"And it's why we should never give up hope," Magnolia said. "I think if anybody can set Ghetsis straight, it's you, N."

"We will spread your word, Your Majesty," Anthea said. "I only hope many will choose to listen."

"We have to at least give them that choice," N said. "It's more than what they've been allowed lately." As the women turned to go, he said, "Oh—and you don't have to call me 'Your Majesty' anymore." He smiled. "We're friends—we're family. There's no need to be formal."

Concordia smiled back. "All right, then… N," she said. "Good luck!"

"They seem like nice girls," Magnolia said as the two rushed down the hall.

"They are," N said. "I feel bad for them—for everyone who Ghetsis misled and manipulated." He clenched his fists and turned to stare up at the large doors that likely separated them from the throne room. "All right. Let's finish this."

"Wait!" an unsettlingly familiar voice shouted from down the hall.

Magnolia tensed and turned around. Running toward them was this universe's Colress.


	9. Chapter 9

Instinctively, the professor reached into her bag and put a hand on Adrammalech's Poke Ball. She was not going down without a fight.

But the other Colress didn't send out any of his Pokemon. "I'm glad—I caught you in time—" he panted as he neared the group.

The Colress Magnolia knew narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?" he asked his counterpart.

The other Colress slowed to a stop. "I want… to apologize," he said, shaking his head, unable to meet their gaze. "After what happened in that battle… I couldn't shake the things you said, about how what I was doing wasn't worth it…" He looked up at his doppelganger. "Is that true? You, of all people, should be able to tell me."

"It is true," Colress said. "Nothing is worth hurting people and Pokemon over. Even pursuit of knowledge has its limits—and Magnolia's right, we should be using that knowledge to help people."

"I've been such a fool," the other Colress said.

"So was I," Colress said. "Don't beat yourself up about it. The important part is that you've realized your mistakes."

The other Colress nodded. "Yes," he said. "And—I want to make it up to you. Here are your Pokemon back." He reached into the pockets of his lab coat and pulled out several Poke Balls.

"Oh—thanks!" Zossie said as he handed her three Beast Balls.

"And let me heal your Pokemon," the other Colress said to Magnolia, pulling out some Revives and Potions. "It's the least I can do."

Magnolia sent out Fermi, Aurorus, and Slawomir, and she and the other Colress fed them the Revives and sprayed the Potions on them.

"Gon," Slawomir said to the other Colress, glaring at the researcher warily. "Shelgogon."

"It's okay," Magnolia said. "He's on our side now."

"Au!" Aurorus said, nudging the other Colress with his snout. "Auro!"

"Vika!" Fermi added as he perched on Aurorus's head and playfully tugged at the other Colress's swoop of blue hair.

The other Colress looked up at the two Pokemon in surprise. "Your Pokemon are so forgiving," he said. "How are you not angry with me?"

"Because that doesn't fix anything," Magnolia said as she recalled the three. "I'm just happy that you're trying to make things better. That's all I ask for."

"She said the same thing to me," the Colress from Magnolia's world said.

"Are you really going to confront Ghetsis?" the other Colress asked N as the researcher handed his counterpart his Pokemon.

"Someone has to," N said. "You won't try to stop me, will you?"

"No—I came to help you," the other Colress said. "You know Ghetsis controls the legendary dragons. He won't be easy to convince—you might have to resort to battle."

Dulse folded his arms. "Legendary dragons?" he asked. "That doesn't sound like an easy battle at all."

"Yeah, but we've got Solgaleo and Lunala!" Zossie said, holding up their Beast Balls.

"We've never actually battled with Solgaleo and Lunala before," Dulse said. "I don't even know what moves they know."

N took a breath. "I—I could battle with them," he said. "They'll tell me what moves they know. If—if you trust me with them."

Zossie looked at him for a moment, then placed the Beast Balls in his hands. "I trust you," she said. "Go get 'em, Torracat!"

"What?" Dulse asked. "We don't have a Torracat."

"It's an expression from Alola!" Zossie said. "N's gonna be fierce and strong just like a Torracat!"

N smiled. "I hope so," he said.

"You can do this," Magnolia said, giving him a thumbs-up.

The young king looked around at his companions, nodded, and pushed open the doors in front of them.

The large doors swung open to reveal an immense throne room that seemed more like a cathedral. Light streamed in through tall windows, and the vaulted ceiling rose high above Magnolia's head.

At the other end of the long hall was a raised platform, and on the throne there sat a man with pale green hair, wearing flowing robes that resembled N's. It was ironic, Magnolia thought as they approached him, that he seemed more like a king than N himself. It was obvious who the real ruler was here—at least, for now.

Ghetsis regarded them coldly, staring down his nose at him as he leaned on the armrest of his throne. "No need to tell me why you're here," he said to N. "I've heard all about how you've decided to betray me."

N frowned. "It's you who has betrayed me—and all of these other people," he said. "You've betrayed the entire world."

Ghetsis laughed. "You can't betray someone you were never loyal to in the first place!" he said. "Of course you're all just pawns! And you played your part perfectly during my takeover, never suspecting a thing!"

The king staggered back. "You—you'd just brazenly admit that?!" N asked, looking like he'd been punched in the gut.

"It's not like you can do anything to stop me!" Ghetsis said, standing up. "Give it up! I've already won! And thanks to Colress here, I'm going to launch an assault on all the other dimensions! Everyone will bow to me!"

"Forget it," the other Colress said. "I don't work for you anymore, you despicable man."

Ghetsis pulled out three Poke Balls. "You're not the one who gets to decide that," he said.

"If he's not," N said, "then I am! This ends now, Father! Go, Solgaleo! Lunala!" He threw the Beast Balls and the two Alolan legends emerged in streams of light.

Ghetsis's visible eye widened, and for a moment his confident demeanor was shaken. "It— doesn't matter what you throw at me!" he said. "I'm invincible! Go, Zekrom! Reshiram! Kyurem!" He tossed the Poke Balls into the air. They popped open and the three dragons of Unova flew out. They roared and dove toward Solgaleo and Lunala.

"Three against two?!" Zossie said. "That's not fair!"

Suddenly one of Magnolia's Poke Balls flew out of her bag. "Gon!" Slawomir said as he forced himself out of the Poke Ball. "Shellllgon!" He ran over to stand beside Solgaleo and Lunala.

Magnolia cringed. "Slawomir!" she said. "What are you doing?!"

"Gon!" he replied. Solgaleo and Lunala let out battle cries as well, and the three of them charged Ghetsis's dragons.

"He says he doesn't want to miss this fight," N said. "He won't let Solgaleo and Lunala face three Pokemon alone. Solgaleo, Sunsteel Strike! Aim for Kyurem!" Solgaleo glowed like the sun, and it let out a mighty roar, leaping into the air to crash into the ice dragon. The force of the impact slammed Kyurem into a wall, and it slumped to the floor, dazed.

"But he's a Dragon-type!" Magnolia said. "He's weak against his own type!"

"Lunala! Moongeist Beam!" N said. Lunala spread its wings, which glittered like the night sky, and a ray of light pierced across the throne room, engulfing Zekrom. The black dragon let out a pained roar as it writhed in the air, and when the light faded it fell to the floor, its turbine-like tail sputtering.

The king glanced over at the professor. "He knows," N said. "But he also knows it's a double-edged sword." He looked back to see Reshiram swat Slawomir away, sending the smaller dragon tumbling across the floor.

For a moment it seemed like Slawomir was finished, but then he rolled upright. "Gon!" he barked as he charged Reshiram again.

Ghetsis grimaced. "Get up, you fools!" he roared to Zekrom and Kyurem, but the two legendary Pokemon could only lie where they fell. "Reshiram!" Ghetsis called. "Fusion Flare!"

"Raaaam!" Reshiram called as it spiraled into the air. Above it, a ball of white-hot fire formed.

"Solgaleo! Lunala!" N said. "Take it down, now!"

Reshiram unleashed its flame. The entire room lit up, so brightly that Magnolia had to close her eyes as she felt the heat prick her skin. Solgaleo and Lunala cried out, and when the light faded she saw them lying on the floor, dazed.

Slawomir was there as well, tucked into his shell, and Magnolia bit her lip as she feared the worst. Then four stubby feet poked out of his hard cocoon. "G-gon," Slawomir stammered as he got up shakily. "Shelgon!" He took a step toward Reshiram.

"Just give up already!" Ghetsis said. "Reshiram, Dragon Breath!"

"Slawomir!" Magnolia cried out. A Dragon-type attack would finish him for sure.

He glanced over at her and N. "Gon!" he said.

N nodded. "Slawomir, Dragon Claw!" he said.

"Gogon!" As though he'd caught a second wind, Slawomir charged toward Reshiram. The white dragon unhinged its jaw and let out a blast of purple flame.

Magnolia didn't know if she could look, and as the fire engulfed Slawomir, she was about to turn away. Then a larger, glowing shape burst out of the flames. "Salaaaa!" it roared as it launched itself into the air on two bladelike red wings. The Salamence tackled Reshiram, and beating its powerful wings it pushed the other dragon into the ceiling, causing bits of stone to crumble down from the impact.

"Re… resh…" Reshiram sputtered as it went limp.

Magnolia could scarcely believe her eyes. "Slawomir!" she called up to the Salamence. "You did it! You evolved!"

"Sala!" Slawomir said, shooting out a burst of flame in joy. He brought Reshiram down to the floor of the throne room to join its fallen companions, then lumbered over to Magnolia. "Mence!" He curled his neck around his trainer and she threw her arms around him.

"I'm so happy for you!" Magnolia said. "All of your hard work has paid off! I told you it would! You didn't give up!" She looked up at their defeated opponents. "I hope the legendary dragons are okay," she said. "Poor things."

N regarded them as well. "They were saying 'thank you'," he said. "We've freed them from having to carry out Ghetsis's will."

Ghetsis, meanwhile, staggered down from his throne, clutching his head. "No… no!" he said. "This is impossible! I'd already won! I am invincible!"

"You're wrong, Father!" N said. "Evil will never permanently triumph!"

"Stop calling me that!" Ghetsis growled. "I was never your father, you misfit boy! You were just my tool for world domination!"

Once again N looked as though he'd been struck, and Magnolia couldn't blame him. His world's Colress stepped forward. "That's enough," he said. "Your reign is over, Ghetsis." He picked up the three dragons' Poke Balls and gave them to N.

"But I'd won," Ghetsis muttered under his breath. "You… you took everything away from me… arrrgh!" Face twisted with rage, he charged at the group.

A psychic force caught him and lifted him into the air. "Heeeyem," the other Colress's Beheeyem said as it levitated him telekinetically.

"I'm afraid we're going to have to put him away for a while," its owner said as Ghetsis continued to thrash about, ranting about his anger and frustration. "Beheeyem, deposit him in the maximum-security dungeons, please." The alien Pokemon nodded and floated away, Ghetsis in tow.

N recalled the dragons into their Poke Balls and watched Ghetsis leave. "He never was my father…" the king said quietly. "There was no love in his heart for me…"

"No love for anyone but himself, I'm afraid," said the Colress from Magnolia's universe. "I'm sorry he's hurt you so. He is a rather pathetic man underneath his façade of power."

"But don't let that ruin you," Magnolia said to N. "He may not have been good family to you, but there are others here who are better to you. Like Anthea and Concordia, and your Pokemon friends."

N looked up at her for a moment, and then nodded. "Yes…" he said, pocketing the Poke Balls. "I will not repeat my fa—Ghetsis's mistakes." He turned to the throne. "What now? This world is without a ruler."

"Not entirely true," the other Colress said. "You are technically the king."

"A rather ineffective king," N said.

"Your reign is not over yet," the other Colress said, "so I think it's too soon to make any judgements." He smiled and put a hand on N's shoulder. "You have the power to turn things around now—to make them better. You realize that, right?"

A bit of a grin worked its way up the young king's face. "Oh… I guess so," he said. "I was so caught up in stopping Ghetsis… I didn't think much about what would happen next."

"I think this world needs its king," Magnolia said.

N nodded. "And he will be a true king," he said, "who rules his people fairly and justly." He clutched his robes. "I just… wish I knew where to start. It's a little overwhelming… and I haven't seen the outside world in years…"

"I can help you," the other Colress said. "No—please allow me to help you, Your Majesty. I need to make up for all of the hurt I've caused."

"I would appreciate that," N said. He looked to the dimensional travelers. "What about you?" he asked them. "Are you going home now?"

"Actually," Zossie said, "we were on our way to rescue somebody from another dimension. Your Colress pulled us out of the Ultra Wormhole in the middle of our transit."

The Colress from Magnolia's world examined his forearm. "And I'm not sure we can get there without the coordinates I had uploaded onto my shunter," he said.

"Allow me to assist with that as well," the other Colress said. "I am very sorry I dismantled your shunter. I think that working together, we can rebuild it in no time at all, and I may even be able to reconstruct your motion through the Ultra Wormhole at the time I pulled you out." He held out his hand. "What do you say?"

Colress only had to look at him for a moment before shaking his hand. "Sounds like a plan," he said.


	10. Chapter 10

"No time at all" turned out to be a couple of weeks, but it was much better than the few years it had taken Colress to develop and build the shunter the first time around.

In the meantime, Magnolia, Dulse, and Zossie helped N adjust to his new life as the true king of his world. He disbanded Team Plasma and dealt out the proper disciplinary actions to those Team Plasma members who had followed Ghetsis out of greed and a desire for power. The former Gym Leaders and Pokemon Leagues returned to their positions, and N started working with them to restore society. People were given back their Pokemon, and although N was worried that they would hate him for the role he played in Ghetsis's takeover, most of them were actually grateful that he had the courage to stand up to Ghetsis. And, rather than see his ability to talk to Pokemon as a freakish trait, they lauded him as a king who could breach the barriers between humans and Pokemon and truly unite them both.

And his interdimensional guests were given the finest accommodations in the castle—Magnolia, Dulse, and Zossie greatly enjoyed exploring the expansive palace, as well as adventuring outside the palace grounds on their Pokemon. Slawomir could barely be contained now that he had evolved—Magnolia had to keep reminding him to at least tone down his flying enough that she could stay on his back, and they spent hours soaring through the sky together.

Finally, the day came when they all assembled in Colress's research facility. The Colress from Magnolia's world wore his new dimensional shunter on his arm, and he and his counterpart made a few last tweaks as Dulse and Zossie sent out Lunala and Solgaleo.

"You know," Magnolia said as she climbed onto Solgaleo's back, "it sounds crazy, but I'm actually really glad Colress pulled us into his world."

"Me too!" Zossie said. "We got to help save it!"

"I think it was meant to happen," Magnolia said. She looked down at N and gave him a thumbs-up, and he returned it with a smile.

"I have to admit," Colress said as he grabbed hold of Lunala's shoulder spike, "I'm impressed at the improvements we've made to the dimensional shunter. I wish I had another one of myself around more often—think of how much more effective the research would be!"

The other Colress laughed. "I feel the same way!" he said. "You'll have to come back sometime."

"I think I would like that," Colress said.

"Me too," Magnolia said. "I'd like to check in every once in a while." After spending so long in this world, and getting to know the people here, it suddenly seemed odd that in her world, Ghetsis had been defeated by a young Pokemon Trainer years earlier, and none of what she had seen here ever happened. But she felt N was right—no matter how much it looked like evil had prevailed, good would always find a way through, sooner or later.

"But for now," Zossie said, "let's go find Professor Mohn!"

Colress nodded. "I've got the coordinates set," he said. "I'm ready whenever you are."

"Lunala!" Dulse said. "Solgaleo! Open the Ultra Wormhole!"

This time Magnolia was ready. She clamped her hands over her ears as Solgaleo roared and Lunala screeched, and once again her eyes widened as the fabric of spacetime opened in front of her.

"Here we go!" Zossie said, and they charged in.

"Goodbye!" Magnolia said to her new friends, and as Solgaleo dove into the Ultra Wormhole, she barely caught their goodbyes in return. As they raced through the threads connecting universes, Magnolia couldn't stop smiling. They'd made things better. And now they were on their way to do more of the same.

An exit wormhole loomed in front of them. "This one!" Colress shouted over the quantum din, and Lunala flew in. Solgaleo followed, and for a few moments, all Magnolia could see was whiteness.

When it faded, she saw that they were standing on the sandy shore of a small tropical island. She looked around, trying to get her bearings. Not too far away were a few other small islands, but past that was only the endless expanse of the ocean.

"What the—did it send us right back to Alola?" Zossie asked, jumping off of Solgaleo and kicking up sand as she ran around the beach. "Colress, are you sure those were the coordinates you figured out from Professor Mohn's research?"

"I'm positive," Colress said, checking his dimensional shunter. "But maybe we pieced together his research wrong—"

"Hello, there!" a man's voice said, making all of them jump. "I don't get visitors around here too often!"

Walking toward them was a portly man with messy blond hair and green eyes. His skin seemed like it had once been fair, but had been tanned and weathered by years of living in the sun, and his clothes were worn and old. A makeshift straw hat sat atop his head. "Welcome to Poke Pelago!" he said. "I'm Mohn!"

All at once the dimensional travelers gasped. "It worked!" Colress said, staring at his device.

"We know!" Zossie said, scrambling toward the man. "We know you're Mohn—Professor Mohn!"

Mohn blinked. "What?" he asked. "Hey now, I'm no professor! Just a simple guy keeping the Pelago running for the benefit of Pokemon!"

"How did you get here?" Magnolia asked. "Do you remember anything about your past?" Based on his resemblance to his children, this had to be Lusamine's husband, but he seemed to have developed amnesia.

Mohn scratched his chin. "Mmm… nope, can't say that I do!" he said. "All I remember is waking up here one day, and it was so nice I decided to call it home!"

"This isn't good," Dulse muttered.

"Is there anything that could remind him of his past?" Magnolia asked.

"The Ultra Beasts!" Zossie said. "He was doing research on the Ultra Beasts!"

"I was?" Mohn asked. "Come to think of it… the name 'Ultra Beast' does sound familiar…"

Zossie moved aside and ushered Lunala and Solgaleo forward. "These are Ultra Beasts," she said. "They create Ultra Wormholes. Remember?"

Mohn's eyes narrowed as he studied the two Pokemon. "I could swear I've seen these two before…" he muttered.

Zossie put a hand on Solgaleo's shoulder. "This one used to be a Cosmog," she said. "The Cosmog you were studying."

Solgaleo sniffed Mohn's face, and nodded. It stared deeply into Mohn's eyes for a long moment, and the man's expression slowly changed, becoming more serious. He reached out and put a hand on Solgaleo's nose, and his jaw dropped. "Cosmog," he breathed. "I remember now—" Backing away, he held his head. "Good gracious," he said. "What have I been doing? What have I done? Where am I?!"

"Just stay calm," Colress said. "It's only been a few years since you've gone missing. And you're still in Alola—just a few miles off the coast, in fact."

"I was so close to home, this whole time…" Mohn said. "Lusamine must be worried sick about me. And Lillie and Gladion—"

"They're all waiting for you to come back," Magnolia said. "We're your rescue party. Let's get you home."

Mohn nodded. "I… would appreciate that," he said. "If I'd known this would happen, I never would have pried into Ultra Wormholes…"

"It's okay," Zossie said as Dulse helped him onto Lunala's back. "You're going to be okay now. And because of you, we just had an amazing adventure in an alternate Unova!"

"Really?" Mohn asked.

"We can tell you all about it on the way back," Colress said. "And thankfully, we don't need to use Ultra Wormholes to get you home."

Zossie recalled Solgaleo and Magnolia sent out Slawomir, and the two climbed onto the Salamence's back. "Everyone's going to be so happy to see you," Magnolia said as Salamence pushed off into the air.

Lunala flew close by. "Either that," Mohn said, "or they'll be furious."

"I don't think so," Colress said. "After all, they're your family. They love you."

Mohn smiled. "I love them, too," he said. "I'm just sorry I forgot that."

"Gosh, I'm sorry we put you through so much trouble, Professor," Zossie said to Magnolia as they raced over the waves.

Magnolia grinned at her. "Trouble? Are you kidding?" the professor asked. "This was such an awesome adventure! Let me know if you ever need another adventuring buddy, okay? Oh—and I want to see the world you and Dulse come from!"

"You got it!" Zossie said. "I'm excited to show you around the Ultra Megapolis!"

"A megapolis?" Magnolia asked. "Sounds like fun!" As Akala Island loomed on the horizon, Magnolia looked down at her recently-evolved friend and couldn't stop grinning. New, exciting horizons had opened up for them both.


End file.
